Cancellieri Demonstrates Glimpses of Genius in Bright Spot for Haywire Lazio
The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist a binding element holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
